Rajasthan crisis: Congress urges leaders to resolve disputes in party forum, says ‘doors are open’
Randeep Surjewala said the Congress top brass was in touch with Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot.
The Congress on Monday said that it has been in contact with party leader and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot in the past 48 hours, reported PTI. The party also appealed to its leaders to discuss their grievances with the leadership.
“If anyone, be at any post or profile, has any problem, they must come forward and mention the issue on the party forum,” Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said during a media briefing. “We will work to resolve it together and keep our government intact in the state. I appeal to all Congress MLAs that people have voted for Congress to lead a stable government in the state, so all MLAs should take part in the Congress Legislative Party meeting today and make our government in the state stronger.”
The Congress government in Rajasthan is in the midst of a political crisis after Pilot and legislators who are loyal to him left for Delhi on Sunday. Pilot had reportedly claimed to have the support of 30 lawmakers. Tension was rife between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot after the deputy chief minister was summoned by the state’s Anti-Terror Squad and the Special Operations Group on Friday. The summons were related to alleged attempts to destabilise the state government.
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Surjewala on Monday urged his party members to speak to the leadership, adding that their “doors are open”. The Congress leader said that party chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were also in touch with Pilot but had not met him.
The Congress accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to destabilise the Rajasthan government, and said such efforts would not be fruitful as the Gehlot administration will complete its term.
Earlier in the day, Pilot dismissed rumours that he may meet BJP National President Jagat Prakash Nadda and discuss joining the saffron party. “I am not joining the BJP,” the deputy chief minister maintained.
The Rajasthan Congress, early on Monday, claimed to have support from a total of 109 MLAs, who pledged allegiance to the Gandhis and Gehlot. Before the crisis erupted, the Congress had the backing of 125 MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, including 107 of its own lawmakers. As many as 13 Independents and five MLAs from other parties support it.
The majority mark in the Rajasthan Assembly is 101. The BJP has 72 legislators and has the support of three Rashtriya Loktantrik Party MLAs.